For those who cook on vacation

[eeyoresmom]

How do you do it, schedule wise ? We like to get to the parks for opening so are usually ready for an early lunch around 11:30 or so. We stay in the parks until around 1:00 then back to the resort for a break. We usually go to WDW in the seasons that the parks close at 9:00 or earlier so we are usually back to the parks by 5-5:30. In this situation we would eat dinner around 4:30 (actually,typing that out doesn't sound so bad. That IS 5 hours between meals) I love WDW restaurants but do get tired of them around day 5. How do you use your DVC kitchen??? TIA

 

[lsutigger2]

We don't get up as early as you, so we eat breakfast in the room, then usually lunch is out in the parks and dinner back in the room or at a restaurant. I'm like you, I get tired of park food after a couple of days. And for some reason it is more fun to fix a simple meal (or heat up something we have brought from home) at WDW

 

[shellbelle1971]

On park days we usually do breakfast and dinner in the room. Sometimes when we're going to an evening event (like MNSSHP) we do breakfast an lunch in the room (with a nap after lunch) and then dinner at a "fun" place right before the party.

 

[Coloradomom]

We always do breakfast in the room, but find we are too hungry for lunch to make it back. This last trip, we did some dinners (hubby made stuffed green peppers DD' s favorite) and we also had hot dogs one night. In a studio he has been able to do tacos, and unless it is really hot, chunky soup, salad and bread make a good dinner before heading back to the parks. Of course, dessert is from the parks!

 

[Lora]

We are out of the room early most mornings, but still have time to grab a quick breakfast in the room (bowl of cereal, meal bar or a bagel). We usually leave the parks between 11-12. I can wait until 12 or 12:30 for lunch. We usually have lunch in the room and then our break or swim. I don't really "cook" much. We mostly do salads, sandwiches, frozen meals (WW-Smart Ones), pbj for the kids, etc. That usually puts us back in the parks around 3 or 4 pm. We will typically do a counter service meal in the parks or just snack in the park if we're going back to the room early.

Some days our schedules may be a bit different (if we do a big meal for breakfast or lunch at a sit-down place) and we'll have a light supper in the room before going to a park for a few hours in the evening.

I will usually "cook" once during our week. I may cook some pasta or a turkey breast or something that can be used for a few days as leftovers. A couple mornings (usually water park or "off" days"), I'll cook eggs and bacon.

I just don't think I could eat all or most of my meals in the parks. I actually lost 2-3 lbs. on our trip this month from all of the walking. (I think we did 4 sit-down meals in 14 days.)

 

[mbhoxsie]

If we are hitting the parks, we will usually do a big breakfast in the room, and then pack lunches in a soft cooler.... Depending on how late we get back from the park, we will either have counter service for dinner or eat back at the room...

If we are taking a day off, we will generally eat all 3 meals in the room. Sometimes though we will do breakfast in the room, have counter service for lunch, and then do dinner again in the room..

 

[DisDaydreamer]

How do you do it, schedule wise ? We like to get to the parks for opening so are usually ready for an early lunch around 11:30 or so. We stay in the parks until around 1:00 then back to the resort for a break. We usually go to WDW in the seasons that the parks close at 9:00 or earlier so we are usually back to the parks by 5-5:30. In this situation we would eat dinner around 4:30 (actually,typing that out doesn't sound so bad. That IS 5 hours between meals) I love WDW restaurants but do get tired of them around day 5. How do you use your DVC kitchen??? TIA

WOW, this is dejavu... I swear I have seen this exact post before

We're not restaurant people and so we typically make breakfast and dinner at home and then have lunch in the park. We are early arrivers too and try to hit the restaurant before lunchtime to avoid crowds as much as possible. I think you have a good schedule.

 

[tkd lisa]

I plan on taking my crock pot with me, but I just live in Tampa, so it's a whole lot easier for me. I cook this way at home, so I'll just do the same thing on vacation. Throw the meat and veggies into the crock pot in the morning, set it on low, and when we get back make some rice to go with it.

 

[mousy_in_canada]

We always have a big breakfast in the room and then a bring snacks with us to the park, have a later lunch (2 ish) in the parks then when the parks close we go back to the room for dinner, I pre-cooked the meat the night before and then I just have to reheat it and dinner is usually ready within 15 minutes. For example I cooked the ground beef for spaghetti the night before and I just have to add it to the sauce and cook the noodles, crock pots are great but we fly and there is no room in the luggage. I debated on buying one there and leaving it down there but decided it was a waste of money.
We also made Pizza and taco's and lots of other fun meals too.
I should say that we like to go in value season so the parks are closed a little earlier than peak season.

 

[Disney_Mama]

We eat breakfast in the room. Usually pancakes from the box. Lunch at the parks or by the pool. Dinner is a mix of both. I make some ADR's, some nights I make pasta with Alfredo sauce so you don't need to add ground beef. If we make it to the grocery store I'll add shrimp. We only do stuff that cooks fast and easy.

 

[cobbler]

Mostly breakfast in the room. On arrival night, we might cook dinner in the room. We have an one day each trip where we relax and don't do the parks. On those days, most of the time, we have breakfast and dinner in the room.

 

[cdmickey]

Since we are driving distance to Disney we bring frozen meals; leftovers if you will, that are made up, frozen and styrofoam packed for travel. These we use for dinners though we usually reserve a day or two for meals at the park also. It's nice to have home cooked, while on vacation, and have the option to have fancy sit-down at our discretion. Breakfast is pretty much always at the room, items include: coffee, tea, fruit, eggs, pancakes, oatmeal, dry cereal, toast/bagels, etc. (we make a Publix run prior to checking-in at our Resort)

 

[klineyqueen]

We don't cook on vacation but our friends do. They usually grab a quick breakfast in their room or camper. Then they pack sandwiches. In the morning the mom starts a crockpot meal. They come back for dinner time. Then they stay at the room or head back to the park. It works well for them.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We usually plan only a couple of full meals in the villa, and all breakfasts. We like the TS restaurants at WDW, so we usually do breakfast in the villa and have an ADR for either midday or early evening (depending on the restaurant). If we have our main meal midday, we have a light supper back in the villa when we return from the parks. If we have an evening dinner out planned, we do a light lunch back at the villa around noon. If we dont' feel like leaving the park, we'll just do something light at a CS location.

 

[FormrCastMbr]

I am subscribing to get some ideas...we stayed at OKW for Xmas and loved it so we bought some points at SSR. We had breakfast every morning in the room but on our next trip may cook a few meals...I was thinking spaghetti and meatballs (sauce made a home and frozen), hotdogs or burgers...maybe tacos like someone has said. I don't think I would bother taking lunch to the parks though...maybe on pool days...

 

[dianeschlicht]

Some of the "quick" options we have done is doing baked potatos in the oven with the timer set so that they are done when we get back to the room. Then we throw together the fixings for a baked potato bar, and everyone puts their own preferences on the potato before zapping it the microwave for a few minutes to melt the cheese.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

We usually eat breakfast in the room but my mother has discovered Roaring Forks in WL for breakfast and now won't eat anywhere else

This december we're planning on running over to Costco and getting a lot of large lasagna platter type meals, we'll have 10 people on vacation and we think a giant lasagna with a big salad and some fresh bread from Publix will work really well.

Our thing is that I don't do dishes on vacation, so we bring a truckload of plastic plates/forks/cups, so cleanup is easy.

Crockpots stink up the room-it's like 9 hours of odor marinating the carpet/curtains/couches. Unless you put it out on the balcony-my crockpot here sits out on the back porch when I'm using it....

 

[dianeschlicht]

Our thing is that I don't do dishes on vacation, so we bring a truckload of plastic plates/forks/cups, so cleanup is easy.

So what's wrong with the dishwasher?????? I would have a hard time creating that much garbage with disposables. I guess I like living green if I can.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

So what's wrong with the dishwasher?????? I would have a hard time creating that much garbage with disposables. I guess I like living green if I can.

Well, if we're using the green argument I could say that the coal burned to heat the water and run the dishwasher, and the soap and bleach contaminating the water table is just as wasteful.

Plastics are increasingly being 'mined' from landfills and recycled, so I don't feel one bit bad about it. At some point it will be reused.

It's not a vacation for me if I'm touching the dishwasher or the washing machine!

Last vacation I opened the closet and saw a vacuum cleaner in there-aaarrrgghhh!!!!

 

[byoung]

Cook on vacation, what's that?